- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Crystal Palace have agreed a deal to sign Genk right-back Daniel Munoz for an initial £8 million with the Colombia international agreeing a four-and-a-half year deal at the Premier League outfit.
HITC Football understands that, after much speculation surrounding one of Europe’s most potent attacking full-backs, Crystal Palace are now on the verge of a sealing deal which could bring an overdue end to their long-running pursuit of an Aaron Wan-Bissaka replacement.
It is five years since Wan-Bissaka left Selhurst Park for Manchester United. And, while Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne are still reliable operators at this level, Munoz should represent a substantial upgrade in what has become something of a ‘problem position’.
Crystal Palace agree Daniel Munoz fee with Genk
HITC has been informed that Palace have now agreed an initial fee of £8 million with KRC Genk. The Eagles could eventually stump up £10 million, including add-ons, with Munoz set to put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half year deal in West London.
Munoz is due to touch down in the English capital today. His signing should become official at some point over the weekend.
Palace, we understand, stepped up their pursuit of Munoz after a potential return for the aforementioned Wan-Bissaka was ruled out.
Interestingly, Munoz admitted recently that a Premier League switch would be something of a ‘dream’ come true. An energetic, attack-minded full-back, who was offered to Everton before The Toffees signed Nathan Patterson from Rangers, Munoz has scored 15 goals and set up nine more since the start of last season.
“That he would cost 10 million pounds? That is not (big) money for an English club. For KRC Genk, that is a huge sum,” ex-Belgium international Eric Van Meir tells Voetbal Nieuws.
“I think he fits in the Premier League. He already has enough drive. Munoz and the Premier League, that could be a good match.”
‘Plenty of goals in him’
“Daniel Munoz is 27. Experienced. He’s Colombia’s first choice right-back. He’s an attacking right-back. There’s plenty of goals in him from that position, both with his right foot and getting in at the far post with his headers,” says South American expert Tim Vickery, speaking to Sky Sports.
“He can go on the outside and cross. He’s quite tall, he’s more than 6ft, but defensively he maybe can be caught a little bit off balance. He can be ready for the Premier League, as long as you realise that what you’re buying here is an attacking right-back.”
Averaging just over a goal-a-game under Roy Hodgson, HITC Football understands that Palace are also looking at strikers. Chelsea’s Armando Broja and AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis are under consideration.
The agent of Krasnodar frontman Jhon Cordoba, however, has ruled out a January departure.
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